Matter Effect or the marvelous adventures of the Normandy and its crew
by KiraNaim
Summary: Ali Walker ends up on a strange planet with her 75er W beetle. But unfortunately this is not her biggest problem. Space Zombies attack and she finds herself unexpectedly alongside of trigger-happy humans and other aliens on board of the Normandy – the battlestarship of the appointed Spectre John Shepard.
1. Prologue

**She should have guessed it. A queasy feeling hit her as she passed the warning signs. It sends a shiver down her spine .**

**The area was deserted, what deepened her dilemma, because she couldn´t ask for directions .**

**The last time that Alice was going through an inhabited region, was hours ago. There she had the possibility for refueling and also asked for the direction.**

**But here, she clearly lost the right way. And it´s getting dark.**

**Her white , from the desert sand polluted VW Beetle almost choked when she engages the second gear to drive slowly through a restricted gateway. The keeper's house was not occupied. She could make out the reflective items of a barrier on the roadside.**

**"There has to be somebody. " Alice was almost frightened of her own voice. She looks intently out of the car into the dark. Perhaps it would be better to turn around to park the car and taking a nap.**

**After nearly 2 miles down ahead, the road ends in a parking lot.**

**Alice starts to turn her old beetle on the empty parking lot, with a lot of momentum. She recognizes a van which had been crashed into the entrance of the building, which is adjacent to the parking lot.**

**Alice freezes and brakes with squealing tires. She unbuckles the seat belt and rummages frantically in her backpack for the cell phone to call an ambulance .**

**Suddenly somebody opens the door. Someone grabbed her with strong hands on the left arm and drags her out of the car seat. Alice reached out and hits the attacker with her backpack, and sprints off. But how far could she possibly get away without a car in this deserted area?**

**"Damn! " Curses the unknown panting from behind her. "You can not escape! "**

**No shit! Alice did not look back. She just sprints further into the darkness. A loud bang is heard and her right leg suddenly gives in. She rolls, turned off and wants to jump again, but her leg gives way again. She feels a violent blow on the head and gets unconscious.**

**XxX**

**A throbbing pain brings back her consciousness. Her head pounds and in her thigh she felt a dull throb. When Alice tries to move a stabbing pain took out her senses briefly. She moans from torture and recognizes two men who were talking about her.**

**"Calm down! I will never sell the device without testing it at least once. The girl is the perfect guinea pig. I guess no one will ever find her.", hisses one of the voices. A chair squeaks.**

**Alice opens her eyes and winces as a bright light blinds her. She sits up and realizes that she was in her car.**

**"Hey Miss! You will write history. " A lean guy with glasses informs her. He seems to be the one in charge of . Two other people were with him. Both masked, armed and voiceless. All three sat in a shielded chamber behind a disk.**

**Alice looks around in panic . "Please, just let me go! I don´t know anything. " Her car was parked in the middle of a hall. Alice looks around for an exit .**

**"Don´t panic! .. I am already looking for a goal. You will be far, far, far away soon..", grins the thin man. He types something on his console and a deep rumbling starts.**

**Alice feels a prickle on her skin. Everything below her seems to move and vibrate . Frantically, she starts her car.**

**Get out of here ! - was her only thought. Then everything starts to move and disappear around her. Alice was not there anymore.**

* * *

I think you already guessed it - english is not my native language :) So feel free to help me correct my mistakes. I thought it was a good idea to improve in writing in english.

This story is a translation of my first attempt on a fanfiction. The german version is still in progress.


	2. 1

**I**

**How do I get to Kansas, please?**

* * *

**Alice Walker opens her eyes. She rests, flat on her back, across the back seat of her good old Beetle and grins: What a dream! **

**When she tells that to Percy or Kate, they would tease her with her fondness for science fiction and her vivid imagination.**

**When she tries to sit up a severe pain struck her down again. "Damn ... . " **

**She pulls herself up quickly and stares through the windscreen in disbelief.**

**The sky was red and permeated by smoke. **

**Her Beetle stood in a green valley with lush meadows. A small stream winds its way along the vehicle. **

**Alice froze for a few seconds. **

**"Okay?" With wide eyes, she tries to make out signs of life in the area. At first sight, everything seems to be peaceful.**

**She finally decides to take care of her wound and digs for the first aid kit under the front seat. Then she looks for the wound in her thigh. A smooth penetration. It only bled weakly. Alice disinfected the wounds and put on a bandage. She moves the toes to check on her tendons. No problem. **

**And with her experience of numerous bone fractures and other injuries, it didn´t bother her. But the gunshot wound was malicious, something she never experienced before.**

**Where the heck was she? She could never gotten this far in those few hours. From the desert to an area where everything was green and wooded and … where the sky was on fire. A numbing, nauseating stench hung in the air .**

**Alice climbs onto the front seat and starts her car. She would somehow find a street and if she had to end up walking to the civilization ..**

**A glance at the fuel gauge confirms her fear . Alice moves slowly from the valley and registered large, flesh-colored balloons with long tentacles that hung on them in the distance. **

**As she got closer, Alice figures that they had to have at least one and a half meters in diameter. They float together in groups on a lush green meadow and suddenly stop hanging on a tree ... and begin to eat . Alice slowly and incredulously rolls down the window. She can hear faint huffs and somerthing that sounds like a "..moo". **

**' These things are alive? ' .**

**Other sounds in the distance distracted Alice. She passes the strange creatures. **

**Suddenly she makes out screams and rumblings .**

**The Beetle finally cruises up on a hill. **

**Nearly hundred meters from the car were huge containers with flashing lights at the doors.**

**Alice slows down and looks around. The screams were silent now, but the rumble got a lot louder. **

**She glances anxiously at her cell phone. No network at all. With a faint idea Alice turns the car radio on. No station, just statics.**

**What's going on here? Well, without the obvious things.. **

**She thinks about getting out and taking a look into the containers for any sign of life when three armed persons in armor charge up the hill. **

**Alice had the experiences of the last few hours fresh in her mind.**

**So she ducks quickly to hide herself. Apparently none of the three soldiers had noticed her. **

**"Commander, look!" shouts a pleasant male voice. "Something I 've seen in a museum a some time ago. "**

**"We are not here for pleasure, LT. We need to find the beacon quickly. ", grumbles a woman's voice .**

**"I can´t believe it! The old engine still works. It´s running.", comments a second male voice. **

**Alice closes her eyes and facepalms. Why should a loud running motor draw some attention? Her sarcastic thoughts were scoffed by the engine of the small beetle, which bubbled happily and cheerful to itself. Alice throws a reproachful look on the steering wheel and whispers: "Yeah, why not? I can use some more trouble now."**

**"Hello? Is someone there? " The Lieutenant seems to come closer to the beetle. **

**Suddenly a barked "Take cover! " shocks Alice.**

**She is startled again by a loud noise and scuffle. She sits up and tries to flee with her car as she froze from what she watches then.**

**The Lieutenant and his comrades ran away from the beetle and charge into a group of beings who came running up the slope. **

**Alice can clearly identify the rumble as shots now. **

**The soldiers were shooting on their attackers whose eyes where glowing light blue and bodies were crossed by wires. A chill runs down Alice´ spine as she watches the unnatural movements of the creatures. They ran to the soldiers. With opened mouths they were trying to tear their victims apart. The soldiers shoot at their legs first. But it didn´t stop them. No , the creatures charge forward. **

**With broken bones and gaping wounds, they pounce onto the three comrades, who eventually have to finish them off.**

**Everything happens within a few seconds. **

**When the Lieutenant finally responds through her window again, Alice startles out of her trance. She winks confused, as he asked her for something .. " What? ", she chokes out eventually .**

**" Are you okay? Are you hurt? "**

**"No ... yes , but ... I was shot . "**

**The lieutenant bends down to Alice. His comrades were closer now.**

**"Where are the others?", the Commander asks .**

**"Who? You are the first living beings I've seen around here so far .. except for those flying, mooing .. balloons and the zombies.", Alice explains breathlessly.**

**"You don´t belong to the settlers?", the LT asks incredulously now.**

**"No. .. I am also quite sure that I do not belong here. "Alice clings still firmly onto the steering wheel. She still hopes to wake up from this bad dream. Then the engine stutters one last time and then stops.**

**"Shepard, she´s wounded on her right thigh." The Lieutenant shoots his comrade a meaningful glance as he straightens up again.**

**"I call my pilot. He picks you up. You can provide medical care on board then.", Shepard decides.**

**Alice feels a heavy weight fall off of her shoulders. **

**Although their military appearance makes her feel uneasy, the chance of going to a paramedic, doctor or whatever she should expect, was compelling. And leaving this place wasn´t the worst idea either.**

**"Joker, we have a civilian here. She needs to be picked up! Yes .. at our current coordinates. Please inform Doctor Chakwas .. she has to take care for a gunshot wound!" Shepard has turned away shortly. "No, she´s no hitchhiker. Come in and pick her up!" While shaking his head in amusement, Shepard turns off the radio. **

**"My name is Lieutenant Commander Shepard and those are Staff Lieutenant Alenko and Chief Williams. We belong to the Alliance Military.", introduces Shepard.**

**"Military Alliance?", Alice asks in confusion. She was reading newspaper and news feeds on the Internet regularly, but had never heard of a military alliance. **

**"I 'm Alice, Alice Walker. I am a student .. somehow.", Alice replied. She was paralyzed briefly. She had opened the car door now and tried to assess whether her legs will carry her. **

**Lieutenant Alenko offered her a friendly smile and his arm for support . " Are you alright? "**

**A cautious step and .. "Yes , thank you. "**

**"The Normandy will pick you up soon, Miss Walker. Alenko, Williams .. we should go! ****Are you getting along all right?****" Shepard asks Alice, already about to leave. He pulls one of his weapons from a bracket on the back and checked it quickly. The weapon drops down, and automatically extended its barrel. **

**Alice is marveling again. Wait a minute .. didn´t the two men just knocked the zombies over with blue balls of light, a few minutes ago? **

**Perhaps the blow had hit her head and she was hallucinating ..**

**"Yes, I 'm okay. " Alice runs her fingers nervously through her dark, long hair and casts a sad look on her reliable old Beetle. **

**Maybe she can get the car back later.**

**Lieutenant Alenko follows her line of gaze.**

**"Alenko, are you coming along? " Alice was not sure if it was a command or question. Shepard didn´t even look in her direction. He was on the run again.**

**Alenko smiles to Alice apologetically, pressed her arm briefly and follows his comrades eventually. The soldiers rush forward and disappear out of Alice sight.**

**She leans pensively in the driver's cabin and stuffs everything important into her backpack. **

**What the hell was going on? Was there any war that started when she was unconscious? The Zombie Apocalypse? Alice grins to herself. **

**It seems as if fate had just been waiting for this keyword. Suddenly the air was filled with noises. Everything was electrically charged and a strong wind starts.**

**Alice directed to slowly and turns around. With wide eyes she watched as about 100 meters further lands a spaceship. From the front, it seems almost insect -like. On both sides Alice clearly recognizes the ships name in Latin letters: Normandy.**

**A ramp lowers at the front end and two soldiers storm out in light armor.**

**"Miss Walker? I am Corporal Denison.", the younger one of the two informs her. "I will lead you to Dr. Chakwas, please follow me." He takes her backpack and runs back to the Normandy.**

**"Ma´am? My name is Sergeant Kent. I take care of your vehicle. The LT thought it is a real gem." The gray-haired soldier grins enthusiastic.**

**Alice is still frozen. She leans against the fender and was not sure if she could ever stand without its help anymore.**

**"Ma´am ?", Sergeant Kent asks anxiously .**

**"Hmm? Yeah ... but the tank is empty. You 'll have to push it. " Alice puts her key into the hand of the confused soldier. **

**She heads away to enter a spaceship ... the very first time in her live.**

* * *

Okay, here is the first chapter. I hope there are not too much mistakes in writing, time and/or any stupid things in there. I must admit that I go blind for my own mistakes anyway. So - constructive criticsm is welcome.

About this chapter:

I had this little movie about the gas bags in my mind: they move in large herds on the lush green meadows of Eden Prime. But then it occurrs to me that actually evolutionary it wouldn´t been smart of these animals to stay so close together. If just one suddenly explodes (for some unknown reason), there would be a massive chain reaction and the whole herd would simply fizzle out in a large fireworks display ... I better stop to run riot ... ;)


End file.
